Ten Day Ultimatum

Lin Qin, still stirring the pot, froze at Qiao Jiajin’s words, her hands trembling so much she nearly dropped the utensil. For her, the word {Interweb} existed only in history books.
Tian Tian's gaze sharpened as she slowly stood up, her expression growing more serious. She locked eyes with Qiao Jiajin, an uneasy tension filling the space.
"Qiao Jiajin, earlier… what year did you say you were born?"

Qiao Jiajin, still oblivious to the shift in mood, scratched the bridge of his nose with a casual smile.
"I said it before, didn’t I? '79. Nineteen seventy-nine. What’s the big deal?"
Tian Tian's breath caught. Her tone grew cautious as she measured his words carefully.
"I thought you were kidding. But if you were really born in 1979, then you should be in your forties right now."
Lin Qin was momentarily taken aback by Tian Tian's remark, her confusion plain as she turned toward her.
"That doesn’t add up…" she muttered, her voice trailing off.

Meanwhile, Qi Xia paid no attention to the rising tension. He calmly served himself a bowl of meat from the pot, as though the conversation around him were nothing more than background noise.
Qiao Jiajin frowned, visibly perplexed by Tian Tian's comment.
"Tian Tian, what are you talking about? Has hunger messed with your head? How could I, a young and vibrant leng-zai, possibly be in my forties?"
He had a point—he didn’t look anywhere near forty. His youthful face and physical vigor didn’t match the age Tian Tian had claimed.

Xiao Xiao, standing quietly to the side, showed no visible reaction to the exchange. Like Qi Xia, she remained composed, betraying no hint of surprise or unease at the strange revelation.
Lin Qin’s lips trembled slightly as she asked cautiously,
"Qiao Jiajin, what year is it now?"
Qiao Jiajin, visibly puzzled by the sudden questioning, stared at her with confusion.
"It’s 2006," he replied firmly.

When he saw both Tian Tian and Lin Qin staring at him in disbelief, the confusion on his face deepened.
"Why are you gals looking at me like that?"
A strange chill crept into the room. Lin Qin could feel it prickling across her skin. She turned her gaze to Tian Tian and asked hesitantly,
"Tian Tian, what year did you come from?"
Tian Tian furrowed her brows, still piecing everything together.
"I’m from 2019," she said slowly, testing the words on her tongue. "What on earth is going on here?"

Lin Qin’s legs weakened, and she slowly sank to the floor.
"Everyone… I’m from 2068," she confessed, her voice trembling slightly.
"Ah??" Qiao Jiajin recoiled in shock, his face turning pale.
"2068??"
Qi Xia, on the other hand, merely nodded, his expression thoughtful. It all started to make sense now.

Indeed, Lin Qin had always seemed like someone from the future. In her era, people wore masks from a young age, so deeply ingrained in daily life that masks were as ordinary as clothing. Her odd discomfort without one, the way she often looked uneasy, stemmed from feeling exposed, almost naked.
With the rapid expansion of the Internet, Lin Qin had never needed to understand what {handbills} were; online advertisements had long since replaced them.
Qi Xia silently shook his head, realizing everyone was starting to notice the strange inconsistencies between them.

"Isn't this even weirder…" Tian Tian’s voice quivered as she addressed the group.
"We aren’t even from the same year, yet we’ve all ended up here together. Could this really be the work of some kind of {God}?"
Lin Qin, still reeling from the revelation, shook her head in disbelief.
"If we’re from different timelines… then the {earthquake} we experienced before coming here wasn’t the same one…"
She turned to Qiao Jiajin with an incredulous look.
"But in my timeline, there’s no record of any major earthquake in your district."
Tian Tian suddenly turned to Qi Xia.
"And you? Which year are you from?"

"I’m from 2022," Qi Xia replied calmly.
"What exactly is happening?!" Qiao Jiajin felt his head spinning.
"Swindler Lad, you’re the smart one here. Do you have any answers?"
Qi Xia shook his head. None of the theoretical knowledge he possessed could explain the bizarre situation unfolding before them.

Why were people from different time periods gathered together?
Was this selection by {God} random or deliberate?
How vast was the temporal divide between the participants?
"Regardless," Qi Xia said, gazing resolutely at the darkening crimson sky outside the window,
"We only have ten days here. Whether this is {God's} doing or something else, I don’t care. My priority now is to fill my stomach and collect those {Dào} as quickly as possible. Even if this mystery haunts you, I suggest you don’t dig too deep into it."
After hearing Qi Xia’s words, everyone slowly sat down.

He was right. Their primary goal was to escape—not obsess over the anomalies around them. No matter which era they came from, they all shared the same desperate desire: to break free from this hellish place and return to their own lives.
Pursuing the mysteries of the {time periods} could prove a dangerous distraction—one that might cost them their survival.
Each of the five grabbed a small bowl from the restaurant and filled it with soup, though tension lingered in their expressions. The air was heavy with unanswered questions, yet Qi Xia's warning echoed in their minds: chasing after the {truth} could waste precious time.

Was the pursuit of {truth} worth more than the drive to {escape}?
"Yeah… forget it," Tian Tian sighed, resignation in her voice.
"We’ve already gone through enough {inconceivable} things."
Lin Qin and Qiao Jiajin exchanged weary glances and shook their heads in silent agreement.

With deliberate care, Tian Tian picked up an old wok ladle and began portioning out the bear meat, tearing it gently off the bone and distributing it among their bowls. The meat had softened so much it practically melted, sliding easily from the bone as rich, savory steam wafted up, filling the air with an enticing aroma.
"It… smells pretty good," Qiao Jiajin muttered, swallowing hard as he accepted his bowl.
Qi Xia, meanwhile, cradled his bowl in his hands but hesitated. His sharp gaze flicked to Xiao Xiao, watching her closely. Only after seeing her take a few bites did he finally allow himself to relax. Confident the food was safe, he carefully tore off a piece of the tender white meat.

Lifting the bear meat to his nose, the rich aroma hit him hard. Without hesitating, he tossed the chunk into his mouth, biting down lightly. Instantly, hot juices burst /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ across his tongue.
"Fuu…" He winced, exhaling sharply to cool the burning heat, and after a few more chews, swallowed the meat.
Disgusting.

He’d never imagined bear meat could taste so vile. The initial bite was fatty and greasy, and as he chewed, an overpowering malodorous, gamey flavor spread through his mouth, nearly gagging him. Whether it was the lack of seasoning or simply the natural taste of bear meat, Qi Xia found it utterly unpalatable. After that bite, he had no desire to touch his bowl again.
Glancing at Lin Qin, he saw she was struggling as well. Her face twisted into a grimace, as though she’d bitten into something unbearably sour.
Qiao Jiajin and Tian Tian seemed unfazed, tearing into their portions with enthusiasm, casting curious glances at the two of them.

"What’s the matter? Not to your liking?" Qiao Jiajin asked, his words slightly garbled as he chewed.
"What do you think?" Qi Xia retorted dryly.
"Are our taste buds as different as our generations?"
Qiao Jiajin nodded thoughtfully, still chewing.
"It’s definitely not great," he mumbled,
"But we need to eat to survive. Swindler Lad, I bet you’ve never had to dig through trash for food as a kid, huh?"

Qi Xia found Qiao Jiajin's comment somewhat amusing. Setting his bowl down, he replied with mockery,
"Qiao Jiajin, your diet seems impressive. Not only bear paws but trash too?"
"Watch your mouth, Swindler Lad…" Qiao Jiajin stuffed another chunk of meat into his mouth, speaking with exaggerated bravado.
"You know how much older I am than you? From now on, call me {Boss Qiao}. I’ll take care of you. I’ve eaten more trash in my lifetime than you’ve had bear paws."
"Allow me to reiterate—I’ve eaten neither bear paws nor garbage."

Tian Tian and Lin Qin couldn’t help but laugh at the banter between Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajin. Somehow, the food in their hands became slightly more tolerable. It was a strange comfort—despite their different eras, at this moment, they were allies, bound by circumstance.
Qi Xia, no longer arguing, resigned himself to the meal. He scooped a few more chunks of bear meat into his mouth, pushing past the distaste. As unpleasant as it was, hunger was the greater enemy. They had no idea what challenges lay ahead, so conserving their strength was essential.
Digging deeper into his bowl, he encountered the {bear’s paw}—once fabled as a delicacy in ancient times. Hoping it might taste better than the rest, he took a bite—and immediately gagged.

The bear’s paw was fattier than any other part, the texture revolting—like chewing on a gelatinous mass of congealed, gamey mucus. The overpowering stench of rancid fat filled his nose, and Qi Xia couldn’t help but wonder:
Did people in ancient times truly consider this a delicacy?